The Tournament and the Halfblood
by ArisuMichealis16
Summary: Isabella is just an ordinary girl. She doesn't consider herself the best in anything. Her only concern is her 3 best friends. Especially Harry Potter. Their 4th Year is about to begin, and we know they shall be put to the test. Will Isabella be able to reveal her true feelings? Or will she have to watch her crush be taken away before her very eyes?
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everyone! So I'm just going to use this small insert to tell you guys something important, sort of like an author's quick note, if you will. This little story you are about to read is, yes, based off the amazing Harry Potter series, but just FYI, this is also based on a dream I had, so some area's may seem slightly off. It started at a weird place in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (movie version, mind you, I dreamed the movie version), and ended just after the Yule Ball. Last little thing; this story is in the point of view of my character, Isabella. _

_All the characters and places mentioned in this fanfiction belong to J.K. Rowling. They are not my own except for my character!_

_Well, thank you for reading, this is my first fanfiction! Sorry for any misspellings or grammatical errors. Reviews are welcome and appreciated. Enjoy! _

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Chapter 1

Defense Against the Dark Arts

The class room looked gloomier than usual, scary even. I got a chill as I stepped in onto the dark wooden floors and heard a few creaks as the other students slowly leaked in behind me. I shuffled to my seat, about mid-room, and set my books down. The low murmur of the students around me felt slightly comforting, but there was something strange about the place. I couldn't put my finger on it but-

"Isabella!...Oi Bella!" I snapped immediately out of my thoughts and focused my attention on who was calling. I looked toward the sound and smiled slightly at the ginger-haired boy in front of me.

"Wakey wakey, dream girl," the boy said, tilting his head slightly to one side, "Did you not sleep well? Or were you day dreaming again?"

I shook my head, that's what I was known for, dreaming the day away instead of paying attention. _Jerk _, I thought, smiling to myself. Glancing around again, I said softly, "No Ron, this place just seems…off. Not at all like when Mooney was here."

Ron nodded and peeked back at the front of the class room before engaging with me again, "I know what you mean; there is something spooky about it, but not as strange as Mad-Eye. Bloody insane, that one. Did I tell you he was an Auror?"

I nodded, but before I could say anything more, a hush fell over the students and our teacher appeared in front of us. He stood like a general, tall and dark as he glared around the room, his other eye whizzing around, and for a moment I swore it stopped to stare at the black haired boy with round glasses next to Ron.

Before I could give it a second thought, he spoke, writing his name on the chalkboard behind him, "Alastor Moody. Ex-Auror. Ministry malcontent, and you're new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher."

No one spoke as he glared about the room. "I am here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story. Goodbye. The End." He paused, letting it sink in I supposed, and then he asked, "Any questions?"

I glanced around at the other students, again, no one spoke. I looked up at Ron and Harry, they didn't move. I focused my attention up to the front of the room.

"When it comes to the Dark Arts, I believe in a practical approach."

I could see Harry and Ron glance at one another. Harry turned slightly, peering at me over his shoulder, a worried look on his face. I shrugged and stared up at Moody again as he spoke.

"First, can anyone tell me..how many Unforgivable Curses there are?"

I raised my eyebrows. _Hold the phone_, I thought. _We aren't supposed to talk about those are we?_ I turned to ask my best friend, but I saw that she wasn't there. _She always sits behind me or beside me. Where in the world-_

"Three," a nervous voice chimed up, "There are three."

Hermione sat up a few rows from us, toward the right hand side of the classroom. She looked just as I thought she would be: scared, and furious. I knew we would get something later about this. She hated talking about this kind of thing, no matter if she needed to learn it.

Moody aggressively began writing on the board again, "And they are so named?"

Hermione spoke out again. "Because they are unforgivable. To use any one of them would-"

"Send you on a one-way trip to Askaban. Correct!" Moody finished, turning to us. "Now the Ministry says you're too young to see what these curses can do, but I say you aren't! You NEED to know what you are up against! You NEED to be prepared!" He turned again to the board, writing furiously, but he stopped suddenly and huffed, "You need to find another place to put your gum besides under your desk Mr. Finnigan!

My mouth dropped. Turning behind me, I saw Finnigan freeze with his hand under his desk, blue gum on his finger. He murmured something to a student beside him, something like "The old cod can see that?" I turned forward and ducked just in time to see a paper wad fly past my head and hit the back wall.

"AND HEAR ACROSS CLASSROOMS!" Moody shouted.

I giggled slightly to myself as Ron looked back at me, "This guy's mental!" he whispered. Harry nodded in agreement, then we turned our attention to the lesson again.

Moody was shaking slightly, like he couldn't contain his excitement for what we were about to witness. "So," he said, his mechanical eye whizzing about again, "Which curse shall we see first?" He began to walk down the middle isle, inspecting us.

"Weasley!" he shouted, stopping abruptly in front of Ron. Ron flinched and looked at Harry, and then back up to Moody's glaring eye.

"Y-yes?" he asked timidly.

"Stand up." Mood commanded, "Give us a curse."

Ron avoided eye-contact as he slowly got to his feet. I could see from under his sleeves that his hands were shaking. I glanced at Harry and Hermione. Both were staring at Ron, frightened for him it seemed.

"W-well…my father d-did tell me about one…" Ron licked his lips and gulped, "The Imperious Curse."

Moody's eyes lit up, "Ahh yes, your father would know all about that one. Yes, it gave the Ministry quite a bit of hell a- way back if my memory doesn't fail me." He turned and quickly walked up to the front of the class as Ron sunk back down in his seat.

I poked Ron in the back. "Didja piss yourself?" I joked.

"Oh bloody hell Isabella, shut it." He whispered back. Harry and I tried to contain our laughter as Hermione glared at us.

Moody strode over to the table beside the chalkboard, removed a lid from a glass container, and presented us with a small crab-like creature. He took out his wand, muttering "Engorgio." Then, "Imperio!"

With a flick of his wand he sent the enlarged creature flying about the room. The girls ducked and shrieked, covering their faces and hair. Pavarti was the first to be touched by the creature; she flinched and began to scream. Laughter spread around the room. I turned my head to look around, and saw Draco laughing maniacally. Moody seemed to notice this and flicked the creature onto his face. Harry and I burst into loud laughter, seeing our annoying friend in a fluster as he tried to shoo the thing off his face.

Moody began to laugh as well, "Haha! Talented isn't she? What should I have her do now? Jump out the window? Maybe drown herself?"

A hush fell over the class once again as Mad-Eye returned the creature to his palm. "Here is something for you. Many witches and wizards have claimed they have only done You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the Imperious Curse. But! Here is the rub, how do we sort out the liars?"

Moody was silent for a moment before asking for another curse. I, and a few others, raised our hands but Moody called on Neville. Neville Longbottom. _Oh this cannot be good, poor Neville_, I thought.

"Longbottom isn't it?" Moody asked. Neville nodded and stood. Moody talked with him a moment about his love for Herbology, but then he got straight to the point.

"There's..um..the…the Cruciatus Curse." Neville mumbled.

Moody nodded, "Yes! Yes! Come! Come!" He brought Neville over to a table and set the creature down on the table. "The torcher curse." he said, before pointing his wand at the creature and muttering the spell.

The whole room flinched as the creature cries reached our ears. I felt it creeping up my back, and goosebumps appeared on my skin. It was a horrible, shrill noise. I covered my ears and watched as Neville flinched and relived the memories of his parents' death. He shouldn't have to go through that again. It's too painful for him. When there was no sign of him stopping, I stood and yelled, "Please stop! He can't deal with that!" Hermione stood as well, backing me up, "Professor Moody! Please stop!"

Moody looked up at us, then Neville, and ended the spell. He cleared his throat and walked up to my desk, the creature in his hand. He set the poor thing on top of my books.

"Well then Miss Isabella, maybe you can give us the final curse?"

I couldn't, I knew perfectly well what the answer was…It was the spell that began this mess; the spell that gave Harry his scar, and killed his parents. The Killing Curse.

I looked up at Professor Moody and shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes.

"No?...Alright then….AVADA KADAVRA!"

With a flash of green light, the creature was still. I stared up at Moody, shocked at what I just witnessed. It scared me. It put a twinge of fear in my heart just like Tom Riddle did…and the diary…The Chamber…I shook my head and I prayed no harm would come to my family in this war. I was a halfblood after all. There was already danger in that, and the fact I was Harry's friend. I sighed and gathered my books as Moody addressed the class again, mentioning something about a test and "don't try this at home" nonsense.

As I walked out of the room I waited for Harry at the door, Ron and Hermione following behind him. Harry looked at me and put a hand on my shoulder, "Are you alright, Bella?"

I looked into his eyes and immediately found comfort. "Yeah, I'm okay, thanks."

Ron bumped into me and put an arm on my head, "Hurry up, dream girl. The Great Hall is waiting! I'm starving!" I laughed as Hermione appeared beside me, smiling slightly. I could tell she was still bothered…but that would have to wait until we got back to the common room. We could talk there.

I smirked at Hermione, "Does he ever stop eating?"

She chuckled, "No he doesn't."


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello once again! I just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews and those who have read it. You guys inspire me to write! _

_All the characters and places mentioned in this fanfiction belong to J.K. Rowling. They are not my own except for my character!_

_Well, thank you for reading, this is my first fanfiction! Sorry for any misspellings or grammatical errors. Reviews are welcome and appreciated. Enjoy Chapter 2!_

Chapter 2

The Great Hall

Well the twins were at it again.

I rolled my eyes at the cheering as I sat down beside Hermione in the Great Hall where the Goblet had been placed. The room was a hue of blue. The walls seem to dance with the flames that flitted about in the Goblet.

The Goblet of Fire stood proudly in the center of the room. Its stone ridges perfectly outlined in the dim-lit hall. A few feet from it was the Age Line that Dumbledore had placed. It was to make sure no under-aged wizards or witches would sign up or something. Some people had to be crazy to try out for such a thing.

The Triwizard Tournament, as I understood it, was a dangerous and silly contest where 3 schools choose one student each to represent them, and then compete against each other to see who has the biggest balls in the land, and one of the schools has to host it. Well this year, Hogwarts was picked. Lucky us.

I peered over Hermione's shoulder and looked down at the book she was reading. "Ahhh, studying for old Snape's potions test, eh?"

Hermione closed her book with a huff and turned to me, "And I see that you are not. Isabella, when are you going to learn that fooling around will get you nowhere here? You HAVE to at least study a little bit to pass Snape's class."

I shrugged, "You know me Hermione, the only class I care about is Care of Magical Creatures! Besides, Snape hates me, that's why I'm failing."

She rolled her eyes, "That's always your excuse."

Before I could retaliate, the cheering started up again and the Weasley Twins, Fred and George, were holding two bottles up for all the crowd to see.

Hermione and I exchanged glances and rolled our eyes. _Here we go again. They are definitely up to something stupid_, I thought.

They began high-fiving the students behind us saying, "Here we are! Here it is! We cooked it up just this morning! Watch before your very eyes, we will get into this tournament! And so can you!"

"It's not going to wooorrk." Hermione teased, and we began giggling.

"Oh yeaah?" said Fred.

"Why's that Granger?" inquired George, smirking mischievously.

Hermione pointed at the Age Line. "See that? That is an Age Line. Dumbledore drew it himself."

The Twins shrugged, "Yeah? So?"

I scoffed, "SO, Dumbledore wouldn't be fooled by something completely dimwitted as an aging potion, ya numbskulls."

I glanced up and saw Harry chuckling across the room, "She's right you know." He said.

I blushed slightly and shook my head, looking over at Ron, who was standing beside him. "Ron, tell these nit-wits it's not going to work!"

Ron smirked and shrugged, "Oh come off it, Isabella. Let 'em try it at least."

"Alright, well if it fails I get bragging rights!" I said, leaning backwards onto the bench behind me.

"Fair enough!" The Twins shouted, as they ran toward the age line. They hopped up onto a bench and began shaking their creations. "Ready Fred?" "Ready George!" "BOTTOM'S UP!"

They swallowed the liquid and jumped straight inside the Age Line.

Nothing happened.

The Twins cheered at their success, reached into their pockets and pulled out the slips of papers with their names on them. Slowly they dropped the papers in.

Nothing happened.

The Twins and the crowd cheered, but before they got their money's worth, the Goblet burst into life! Red fire whooshed out and around the Goblet, knocking over the Twins and anyone else near it. The Fred and George groaned and got to their feet as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I rushed forward to help them. Before we could however, Fred glared and George and said, "You said!" They began to sprout grey hair all over their head. It looked like they aged 70 years!

I couldn't help myself, I began to laugh as Fred and George wrestled each other on the ground. Harry moved to go break them up, but Ron stopped him with an arm and said, "Oh let 'em go." Shouts and cheers broke out as the Twins fought, but a quick hush came over the crowd of students again.

Hermione and I turned, expecting Filch or Professor McGonagall, but who we saw instead was just as chilling. Victor Krum, from Durmstrang.

He was tall and built, with a lightly shaved head and a very serious face. He walked like he owned the place, and would punch anyone who got in his way.

Victor strode up to the Goblet of fire, and dropped his name into it, taking a small pause to get a good look at Hermione.

I smirked and nudged her as he strode out of the Great Hall, "Oooo I think he likes yooou."

Hermione blushed and scoffed, "No he does not! Ugh! Be quiet Bella!" She got up and stormed out of the Hall. _Most likely to the Commons_, I thought, smirking to myself. He was totally checking her out, she just didn't want to acknowledge it. Poor girl.

Ron sauntered up to me and pointed in the direction Hermione went, "Where is she off to?"

I shrugged, pretending nothing happened, "The Common Room to study for Potions I think. You better go up too Ron, knowing your grades you'll need her help for the test later."

Ron grunted and walked out of the Hall, "I'll meet you guys up there. We should study together tonight!" he shouted over his shoulder.

Turning around, I scanned the crowd for Harry and found him sitting alone on a bench by the door. Walking over to him, I sat down and noticed him rubbing his scar. My grin turned into a small frown as I watched his face go from pain to relief.

"It hurts every now and then. But it's never serious, more like a prickling than a searing pain." Harry looked over at me, seeming to attempt a smile. "Don't worry too much about me Bella, you'll make yourself sick."

I smiled slightly, he could read me so well…but even the great Harry Potter doesn't know everything…

Brushing his hair away from his scar, I touched it lightly, "Is it okay now? Or do you need to see Madame Pomfrey?"

Harry shook his head and stood, "No, I'll be alright."

"Promise me you'll say something if you need anything, okay? I'm here for you."

Harry looked up at me, tilting his head slightly to the side.

_Shit, _I thought,_ you gave it away! _"Um, I mean—We are here for you. Me, Ron, and Hermione." I managed to say. _Nice save._

Harry smiled again, that dazzling smile of his, and nodded, "Yeah, my best friends."

I grinned and began skipping toward the entryway, aiming to be at the Commons soon so Ron and Hermione wouldn't think something happened. I stopped and turned around, realizing Harry wasn't following. "You coming!?" I shouted at him.

Harry was staring at the wall, and for a moment he didn't respond, but he then looked around and ran to catch up with me.

"Sorry." He said.

"And you guys call ME Dream Girl." I teased.

We both laughed, and began making our way up the Grand Staircase to the Gryffindor Common Room.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello everyone! Views are rolling in and I am so very very excited! I just wanted to thank you guys for viewing and giving this little story favorites! If you like it, spread the word to your friends! It would help me out soo much!_

_All the characters and places mentioned in this fanfiction belong to J.K. Rowling. They are not my own except for my character!_

_Well, thank you for reading, this is my first fanfiction! Sorry for any misspellings or grammatical errors. Reviews are welcome and appreciated. Enjoy Chapter 3!_

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Chapter 3

Harry and the Goblet

The sun was creeping in through the curtains of the Gryffindor Girl's Dormitory. The light slowly seeped in thought the back of my eyelids and woke me. I stretched and slowly rose from my dreamland, scratching the back of my head as I yawned.

I sat at the edge of my bed and glazed around. The light had not quite touched the other side of the room yet, making it only slightly dim in the early hours of the morning.

It seemed I was the only one awake at the current moment. I shifted my eyes over to the calendar on my bedside table. _What is today?_ I wondered.

October 31st.

OCTOBER 31st

Today was the day the champions of the schools would be chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament.

I dashed over to my trunk and threw it open, grabbing my robes, sweater, wool skirt, hose, and tie. I quickly changed and checked my appearance in the mirror. Once I had adjusted myself accordingly, I opened the door to the small corridor that connected the boy's dorm with ours.

Running up to it, I knocked as loudly as I could and hollered, "Harry! Ron! Get your lazy arses up! Today's the day!"

I heard a groan from the other side of the door, "You're a loon, Bella. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

I giggled to myself. Harry sounded so cute when he was still sleepy. "You bet I am, now get your butts up and at 'em!"

I dashed down the stairs to the Common Room and flopped myself down on the couch to wait. It took only a few minutes before I heard Hermione come down the stairs, a worried look on her face.

"What?" I asked, standing up and turning to her.

She sighed before answering, "I can't find Crookshanks. I've looked everywhere."

I rolled my eyes. That slippery cat was always disappearing at the strangest times to go chase mice or something. He probably just went off to find a more quiet place to sleep.

"Don't worry about it. He'll turn up, I promise." I said, moving to her side and rubbing her shoulder to comfort her, "Meanwhile, we should head down to the Great Hall and get something to eat before we go to Potions."

Hermione sighed again, "You're right. He will turn up eventually, I suppose. As for food, we should wait for the boys before we go down."

We waited for another few minutes before we heard slow thuds coming down the stairs.

"Bella, I swear, one of these days I am going to kill you for waking me up before 8." Harry groaned, rubbing his eyes, his glasses bobbing up and down as he did so.

His black hair was still in a jumbled mess, but it looked that way no matter what he did to it. He was wearing his usual fall garb; grey sweater, white undershirt, slacks, and the signature Gryffindor tie.

I chuckled, "One of these days, you may thank me for it." I noticed his tie was a bit askew and adjusted it for him as Hermione went and greeted the just-as-sleepy ginger.

"Keep dreaming on, dream girl." Harry sneered. We laughed and began heading for the Fat Lady's entrance.

* * *

I groaned. "Ohh that was bloody awful."

It was getting toward dinner time when we exited the Transfiguration corridor; McGonagall had just given us a lesson on the Draconifors spell, and my brain hurt.

Hermione chuckled, "How was that awful? I thought you found it fascinating."

I nodded, "I do, but I hate that she is giving us an exam the day we get back from Thanksgiving." I sighed, "ManI wish she could teach us about animagi. I'd love to find out what mine would be…and Sirius is lucky he can just turn into a dog and run around without a care in the world."

Hermione was silent for a moment, "She can't teach us that, plus it is a long and frivolous process. And Sirius does have at least one care left….Harry, and defeating You-Know-Who."

I nodded again, "Yeah…Harry…."

We remained silent as we walked back to the Great Hall to have our Halloween Feast. Once we walked through the entryway, Hermione and I sat down in our usual spots at the Gryffindor table. The rest of the school as well as the Beauxbatons and the Durmstrangs congregated on the back two tables of the Hall. It wasn't too long before the boys joined us at our table and we conversed for a while before Dumbledore stood and announced that dinner was served.

The food appeared before us out of thin air. Piles and piles of pumpkin pie, turkey, mashed potatoes, corns, and other foods rested across silver platters. Candies, bats and jack-o-lanterns floated above our heads as we dug into the first course. The Goblet of Fire glowed beautifully in the light of the room, the candles dancing around it.

Hermione began making conversation with Ginny about today's lessons and test schedules. Ron started a argument with his twin brothers about who will be chosen tonight for the tournament. Harry and I sat beside each other and listened in, making comments every now and then to stir the fire up again. We chuckled to ourselves as Ron crossed his arms and refused to speak with us more that evening.

When the feast was through, Dumbledore stood. He raised his wand and moved the back section of seats toward either side of the hall, forming bleachers. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I moved to the bleachers and watched as Dumbledore moved toward the Goblet.

"Now this is the moment you all have been waiting for! The Champion selection!" he announced. Then he raised his wand again, and dimmed the lights. The room once again was lit in a hue of blue, and we patiently waited as Dumbledore slowly walked up to the Goblet of Fire.

"Isn't this exciting?" I whispered to Harry, shaking his arm.

He smiled slightly, "Yeah, it is."

Dumbledore placed his hands on the Goblet and took a step back. A moment later the fire in the Goblet shrunk, turned red, then shot upward, and a burned paper was released from the flames. The fired turned a normal blue again just as Dumbledore caught the smoldering paper.

"The Durmstrang champion is…Victor Krum!" he announced, and the Durmstrangs cheered as Victor stood and walked up the isle to the front of the Hall.

The Goblet's fire turned red again and shot up another paper.

"The champion of the Beauxbatons…is Ms. Fleur Delacour!"

The ladies in blue all cheered as Fleur, a very beautiful blond-haired girl, smiled and took her place beside Victor.

The Goblet released one last paper into the air.

"This is it, the Hogwarts champion.." I said.

Harry nodded, his eyes transfixed on Dumbledore.

"The Hogwarts champion…Cedric Diggory!" The crowd erupted into a frenzy of shouts and cheers as Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff house strode with pride to his spot among the champions.

We all clapped and cheered as well as Dumbledore threw his arms out wide, "Excellent! We now have our three champions! But only one will go down in history, only one will hoist this vessel of victory: The Triwizard cup!"

Dumbledore pointed back to a stand where a cloth was draped over an object. The cloth launched into the air and revealed a glowing ice blue trophy, with the word Wiz engraved on its front.

I grinned and marveled at the cup. It was beautiful. We clapped and cheered for our three champions, but something was wrong. Professor Snape had moved from the ranks and was staring at something with concern. Harry noticed this as well and we followed Snape's gaze.

The Goblet of Fire was erupting again, but violently. Swirls of red fire crackled around the large Goblet. _What is happening?_ I thought. Soon enough, the students had noticed this and a low murmur flowed through the crowd. Professor Dumbledore stared at the Goblet in astonishment as the fire shot up again.

A smoldered paper slowly drifted down.

Dumbledore caught the paper, and everyone was silent. He mumbled something, and the students close to him looked around in shock.

"What did he say?" I asked Hermione.

"Harry Potter?" Dumbledore answered.

The room was dead silent, and my heart stopped. _Harry._

"HARRY POTTER!" Dumbledore repeated, much louder this time.

_Harry. No no no no. Not Harry._ I thought.

Hermione and I looked at him as Harry, as shocked as the rest of us were, stumbled down the bleachers to Dumbledore, and then slowly made his way up the aisle.

"He's a cheat!" "He's not even 17 yet!" "Boooo!" I heard student shout.

I didn't know what to feel or think as I watched my best friend confront the shocked stares of the students and teachers at the front of the hall.

Dumbledore turned to the rest of us and commanded we go to our respective dorms as he and the administrators sorted this out.

I turned to look at Hermione and Ron. Hermione looked at me and mouthed "This is bad." Ron on the other hand…he looked like stone. A deep, angry frown was on his face, and when I asked what was wrong, he got up quickly and exited the hall with the rest of the students.

Hermione and I made our way back to the common room to wait for Harry, but it soon got late and she went to bed. It was near midnight when I heard the Fat Lday say, "Enter!"

Harry walked into the room, bringing the essence of gloom and despair with him. He looked scared and confused as he looked up at me, sitting on the couch by the fire, with a blanket around me.

I stood, "Harry?"

Harry avoided my gaze.

"Harry, are you alright? Tell me what happened. Harry answer me." I was scared. I was scared for him. I was scared what they had done to him. Was it true? Is he a Triwizard champion? Has he been expelled? Who did this to him?

I moved closer to him, "Harry, you're scaring me."

He raised his head and walked toward the fire, sitting down on the couch. He looked up at me. "Bella.." he said, "I'm a contender. I am, as of tonight, a Triwizard champion. I don't know how it happened and I don't know why….and neither do they. So…I have to compete."

My heart sank. _Harry…no…_

"Can't..can't they pull you out? You're underage Harry." I managed to stutter.

Harry shook his head grimly, "They can't, the Goblet has some kind of magical contract. Anyone who is chosen is required to compete. I don't know what I can tell you…"

Tears welled up in my eyes as I began to panic. It was supposed to be dangerous, he could…

I couldn't finish that thought. It was too much to think about, and Harry was under enough stress already. I managed to hold back my tears and said, "You've had a rough night…you should at least get some sleep. You'll need it."

"Bella… I-" Harry said softly.

"Go on." I urged.

Harry sighed and got to his feet, murmuring a "Goodnight" before we both went to our dorms for the night.

_Goodnight Harry…_I thought, and then drifted off to sleep…


	4. Chapter 4

_I have only a short note today, but I wanted to thank you guys for the support. Waking up in the morning and finding more reviews and followers is just amazing! You guys are what keep me going! Oh, and sorry for the slight delay, I kind of went ocd on this chapter, plus I was jumping back and forth from my parents houses. I'm back home now, with my cats, and they are crawling all over my laptop and me._

_All the characters and places mentioned in this fanfiction belong to J.K. Rowling. They are not my own except for my character!_

_Sorry for any misspellings or grammatical errors. Reviews are welcome and appreciated. Isabella has a dream/flashback in this chapter, and it is in italics. Enjoy Chapter 4!_

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Chapter 4

The Dream and Sirius

_I was shrouded in darkness. All I could hear were voices in the vast black that stood before me. I tried to move around, explore a little, maybe see whoever was talking, but I stood ridged…_

_Images appeared before me, blurry, but clear enough for me to make them out._

_A wall covered in blood writing, a black book, sinks in what seemed to be a bathroom….a giant snake._

_The images melted away and I stood in a dark wet place. Snake heads lined down a stone pathway before me, leading to a pool of water, and behind it was a large carving of an older man's head. His hair flowing outward from each side…and his mouth was open._

_This place seemed familiar to me…wait._

_I tried to turn away from the images. I didn't want to go back there. I didn't want to—_

"_Isabella."_

_I flinched, I recognized that voice._

"_Bella." It said again._

_I turned to see who I knew the voice belonged to, and I felt a sense of relief. _

_Harry._

_His clothes were drenched and torn, his hair, as always, a wild mess, his green-blue eyes looked softly into mine. He raised his hand to me, invitingly._

"_Harry," I said, moving toward him, "What are you doing here?"_

_He smiled; such a handsome smile, warm and welcoming. "I came here for you." He said._

_My heart beat quickly in my chest. "Am I in trouble?" I asked, jokingly._

_He chuckled, "No, Bella. I have a task for you."_

_I tilted my head, not knowing what to think. My mind felt cloudy…_

_I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, "A…task?"_

_Harry nodded and took my hand, leading me toward the pool, "Yes, just a small task. A simple little thing."_

_He let go of my hand and turned away from me. When he turned back again, a ruby incrusted sword was in his hand._

_He presented it to me, and I took it with both of my hands. "What do you want me to do with this?" I asked._

_Harry smiled again. "Run me through with it." He said coolly._

_I looked at him in shock, did he just say-? "What?" I asked._

"_Run me through, Isabella. Stab me. End my years of pain and agony. Save me." He begged, pain and agony written all over his face._

"_Harry are you mad?!" He was scaring me. Harry never talked like this, at least not to me. I looked at the sword, "No, I won't help you end your own life, that's…mental! Harry, maybe you need to see someone about this!"_

_Harry's face went from pain, to anger. "And you used to be so useful, Isabella. You were the one who led me here after all. You awakened me."_

_His face morphed and he began to grow. Up and up he went, his body slimming and shaping, his eyes turned yellow and cat-like, his mouth sprouted fangs, and his black robes turned into shiny green scales._

"_I should have let you die, Bella. You are so weak and whiny. 'Oh I wish Harry would love me.' 'Harry, notice me like you notice Cho Chang.' Harry. Harry. Harry." He mocked, but his voice was different._

_My eyes began to fill with tears, and my heart pounded as I realized who the voice really was…_

_Voldemort._

_The giant snake, the Basilisk, raised its head, hissing and spitting, "Die." It hissed._

_Then it struck._

* * *

I woke with a loud gasp, sitting up quickly and looking round the room. It took me a minute to get my bearings and realize it was all a dream.

I sighed and laid back into my pillow, covering my face with my hand and wiping the sweat off my brow.

In the dream, I was back in The Chamber of Secrets, the place I dreaded the most.

It was my second year at Hogwarts when the Chamber had been rumored to have been opened. At the time, I had no friends or acquaintances, so no one knew it had been me, even myself.

I had found a black diary and discovered its magical properties. A boy, named Tom, was in the diary and he became my only friend. We talked every chance we got, he knew all of my deepest secrets, but what I didn't know was that he was controlling me. Using me for his dark plans.

He had me writing threatening messages on the walls of Hogwarts, commanding the Basilisk and sending it on the Mudbloods…paralyzing Hermione…and killing some others.

One day I had broken away from his spell, and I threw the diary away in the abandoned girls bathroom on the second floor. That was when Harry found it, and found out who Tom was for himself.

Tom stole me away to the Chamber, hoping Harry would soon follow, sort of using me as bait to get to Harry. It was there in the Chamber of Secrets that Harry found me slowly dying and that Tom, Tom Marvolo Riddle, was actually Lord Voldemort, and he wanted to end Harry once and for all. Tom sent the Basilisk after Harry, and in the struggle, Dumbledore's phoenix swooped in and blinded the great snake. It also gave Harry a weapon, the sword of Godric Gryfindor. Harry managed to defeat the snake with the phoenix's aid, but at a price. The Basilisk managed to stab a tooth into Harry's arm as he stabbed the Basilisk with the Sword of Gryffindor.

The poison from the snake seeped into Harry, killing him from the inside. Harry told me then that he thought he was going to die along with me, there on the cold stone, but Harry had one last idea. He took the fang that was in his arm, and stabbed the diary, killing Tom's "ghost" and saving my life. And the phoenix managed to save Harry by crying on his arm; phoenix tears apparently have healing properties.

Harry and I became friends after we spent a night together in the hospital wing. We had one thing in common, we were different, outcasts. He introduced me to Hermione and Ron and we became the best of friends.

I was finally accepted, and it did not take long for me to fall for Harry during our later adventures. He knew me best, and unlike the other Gryffindors, he was kind to me. I've been in love with him ever since, but, like all girls, I'm afraid to tell him the truth.

I laid there in my bed for a while before I realized I couldn't go back to sleep, so I put on my cloak and exited the girls dorm. I began walking down the stairs when I heard it. Someone was talking. No..two people.

"…no one stops being a Deatheater. Then there's Barty Crouch, and he sent his own son to Askaban."

I knew that voice, even though I had just met the man. It was Sirius Black. Harry's godfather.

"Do you think one of them put my name in that goblet?" That was Harry.

I went further down the stairs, peering into the room. Harry was sitting in front of the fire, and, I couldn't believe my eyes, Sirius' face was protruding out of the smoldering ashes. They spoke in hushed tones, and the fire hissed and cracked as Sirius spoke.

"I haven't a clue who put your name in the Goblet Harry, but whoever did it is no friend to you. People die in this tournament!" Sirius said.

Harry shook his head, "I'm not ready for this Sirius." Harry sounded frightened.

"You don't have a choice! You have to—Oh, well…we seem to have been caught." Sirius sighed.

Harry turned and found me standing in the stairway. I froze and blushed in my embarrassment. How did Sirius do that?

"Oh..um, don't mind me.. just, grabbing a glass of water." I said sheepishly.

Sirius saw right through it. "It's alright Bella. No need to be secretive."

"I'm sorry." I said, and sat down beside Harry. "I couldn't help but overhear."

"Why are you up so late?" Harry asked, "Is everything okay?"

I looked at the both of them, their faces both seemed curious. "It's nothing; just a bad dream is all."

Harry looked at me sympathetically. He knew bad dreams more than anyone. He had them all the time because of Voldemort, most of the time he woke up screaming and clutching his scar.

Sirius turned looked toward Harry. "She sounds like you."

Harry nodded slightly and Sirius then looked over to me, "What was the dream?" He asked.

I couldn't tell him, not in front of Harry, it would have been embarrassing. Maybe Sirius would ask if I dreamt of Harry a lot. "It was just a small nightmare, y'know…spiders." I lied.

There was a noise from upstairs, it sounded like someone was coming down.

"Someone's coming, Isabella, hide." Harry urged.

"Keep your friends close, Harry." Sirius said, before disappearing into the flames.

I shuffled under the couch and Harry stood to see who was coming.

"Who are you talking to?" It was Ron.

"Who said I was talking to anyone?" asked Harry. _Smart ass, _I thought.

"I heard voices." Ron said warily.

"Maybe you're imagining things. Wouldn't be the first time," suggested Harry.

Ron grunted, "Guess you're just practicing for your next interview, I expect." Then he turned and went back up the stairs.

_What's up with him?_ I wondered. Ron never sounded hostile towards Harry before.

Harry sighed and helped me get out from under the couch, and then he sat down on the floor again.

"What pissed in Ron's cereal?" I joked.

Harry didn't laugh, but crossed his arms and said, "He is being a git. All because I got into the tournament."

I raised my eyebrow. That was a first. Why would Ron be jealous? It wasn't Harry's fault after all. Harry didn't even want to enter in the first place.

"Are you alright?" I asked, sitting beside him.

He nodded and huffed, "The stress is getting to me…" he said softly.

"I would imagine so…but we should face it head on. We may not know why this is happening…but, let's just concentrate on the now. Everything will work out Harry. You'll see." I tried to give him an encouraging smile, hoping it would comfort him, even just a little bit.

Harry locked his eyes with mine, "How can you be so sure?"

I shrugged slightly, "Just have a little faith, Harry. Have some faith in yourself…."

I paused, wondering if I should say what I was thinking, and I decided to take a chance.

"…I have faith in you." I finished.

Harry smiled and hugged me close. His arms felt strong and warm as he embraced me, and I buried my face into his shoulder. I knew I could have stayed that way forever…

"Thank you…" Harry whispered, and he let me go.

I blushed and tried to avoid his gaze, "Heh, you're welcome." I managed to say. My heart was pounding loudly in my ears, and we were so close I was afraid he would hear it.

We were silent for a few moments, but then Harry quickly stood.

"Well..I…I should- We should head to bed. Don't want to be late for Charms tomorrow." Harry said.

I looked up at him and quickly agreed, "Uh-yes. We should."

We walked up the stairs together and as I headed toward the Girls Dorm, I realized Harry had followed me to the door.

I turned to him, slightly hopeful, "Yes?"

Harry seemed to struggle for words, until he sighed and said, "I- I just wanted to say goodnight."

My heart fluttered, "Yes…Goodnight, Harry."

Harry looked up at me and nodded before quickly retreating to his dorm room, shutting the door with a soft thump.

I stood there for a few moments, thinking and grinning to myself. _Did he almost do what I thought he was going to?_ I thought. Then I entered my dorm and flopped down on the bed.

Hermione, in the bed next to me, stirred, "Bella?" she asked sleepily.

"Yes it's me. Just went to get some water. Go back to sleep." I whispered.

She nodded slowly and turned over, sighing.

I lifted my covers and turned onto my side, smiling to myself, and then closed my eyes. After a few minutes, I was fast asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

_This took a little bit to figure out, but I FINALLY got it to flow the way I wanted to. I wasn't too sure where to start it at first, but then it hit me like a brick wall. I'm still not too happy with it, and its a little shorter, but I guess we will see. I promise to do a better one. But I still hope you like it! _

_All the characters and places mentioned in this fanfiction belong to J.K. Rowling. They are not my own except for my character!_

_Sorry for any misspellings or grammatical errors. Reviews are welcome and appreciated. Enjoy Chapter 5!_

* * *

Chapter 5

Dragons

It was a beautifully cold day Harry, Neville and I decided to take a stroll around the Black Lake. The temperature was decent enough, and the sun was peeking in through the clouds just enough to give us some sort of warmth.

Neville picked a spot under a willow tree and took off his jacket and shoes, rolling up his pants to his knees. He removed his satchel from his person and handed it to me and Harry. "There's a book in there that I want to use to study a bit of these plants here along the shore. Think you all can help me?" Neville asked.

Harry and I agreed and sat ourselves along the shore, Harry next to the tree, and me along the leaves in front of him. Neville entered the water and began picking up plants along the shore and in the water, asking us to look something up in the book.

Harry inspected the cover, "Magical Plants of the Highland Locks?"

Neville nodded as he closely examined a leaf-like water plant, "Yeah, Moody gave it to me the day we learned about the curses. Said he felt bad about it and wanted to repay me."

Harry and I exchanged glances and shrugged. It was nice that he apologized to him. Neville really did go through hell that day.

I took out my copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ and flipped open to a random page. After a few minutes we heard Neville exclaiming, "Fascinating, truly fascinating!"

I looked over at him and saw he had another plant in his hand and a grin on his face.

I chuckled, "Harry. Neville is going to be a Herbologist like Professor Sprout. I swear he is. He finds anything about plants just 'fascinating.'"

Harry nodded silently, flipping through the pages of Neville's book.

"I wish I knew what I wanted to do like he does. I mean, I love Care of Magical Creatures, but I don't know if it's what I want to do for the rest of my life, y'know?"

Harry closed the book and smirked, "Oh really? Do you see the book you're reading, Bella? Your future is set, just like Neville's. Hell, you went mental over Buckbeak."

I smiled at the memory. Buckbeak the Hippogriff was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. I couldn't help but stare and marvel at how regal and majestic he looked when Harry first met him that day Hagrid took our class into the forest to meet him.

"Heh, that's if I pass my OWLs." I grunted.

"Harry smiled at me, "You will, you know more about Magical Creatures than any of us. I'd say you knew more than Hagrid."

I blushed and smiled back at him, "Thanks for the complement." I teased.

Harry smiled at me softly before looking over at Neville. He was getting over excited.

"Amazing!...Simply amazing!" Neville exclaimed again.

"Neville, you're doing it again." Harry remarked.

"Oh, sorry Harry." Neville said shyly. He looked up and grinned at something off behind us and waved.

Before too long, we heard footsteps and rustling of leaves. Harry and I turned to find Hermione, Ron, and Ginny coming down the slope behind us. Hermione was saying something to Ron in a hushed and irritated tone, and Ron kept whispering something to her and urging her forward.

Harry and I exchanged glances. This was going to be awkward. I could tell.

Hermione finally huffed and approached Harry, "Ronald would like me to tell you, that Seamus told him, that Dean was told by Pavarti that…Hagrid is looking for you." She huffed, and shook her head in annoyance.

"Oh…What?" Harry said, looking confused.

Hermione winced and went back to Ron who was standing a distance away from us. _Why is he being so difficult? _I thought.

She came back toward us and started again, "Dean was told by Pavarti that…" Hermione struggled to find the order again and decided to give up on it, "Please don't ask me to say it again. Hagrid is looking for you."

Hermione turned to leave and Harry barked, "Well you can tell Ronald—"

"I'm NOT an owl!" Hermione spat, and left with the group.

Harry stood there for a moment before returning to me and relaying to Neville that he had to go see what Hagrid wanted.

"Do you want to come with me?" Harry asked, picking up his satchel.

"If I must." I teased, shrugging, and we set off toward the ragged hut.

* * *

I paced back and forth with Hermione in the Common Room. Harry had been gone for what seemed like a few hours. Earlier that evening He had announced to us that Hagrid had said he wanted to show him something, and to bring his invisibility cloak.

When we asked Ron if he knew what Hagrid had wanted, but he just shrugged and went up to bed.

I sighed and flopped down on the couch, "Its dreadfully late, and its three days before the first task. Where in the hell is he?"

As if by magic, Hermione and I flinched as we heard the Fat Lady exclaim, "Alright, alright. Go in already."

Harry walked into the room with a worried look on his face as he greeted us.

_Here we go again. What is it now?_ I thought.

Hermione and I seated ourselves beside Harry as he related his tale. How he went to the forest with Hagrid and found out that the first task has something to do with dragons.

_Dragons!_

"Oh Harry…" I said in astonishment, "You have to tell me about them. How big were they? Did they breathe fire? Where is Hagrid keeping them? I want to see!"

Harry groaned, "Bella can we not do this right now?"

"Yes, Bella. We need to concentrate." Hermione cautioned. "This is going to be dangerous."

We sat around and discussed what we should do and Harry felt that he should tell the other champions so they could prepare themselves as well. Harry also told us what he knew about the dragons themselves, and that one of them, The Hungarian Horntail, seemed to be the most dangerous of the 4 dragons chosen for the task. As he went into detail about Hagrids suggestions on how to fight, Hermione and I suggested he practice some spells to deal with the dragon in case he had to fight it, and he agreed.

After we discussed some tactics Harry decided to retire to the dorm and get some rest before he passed out. Hermione and I quickly agreed and said our goodnights.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" I asked Hermione as we put on our night gowns.

"I hope so…this is a dangerous tournament. I just want to know who put his name in the Goblet. I'm scared for him and the rest of the competitors." She said.

I nodded and agreed with her. It was strange seeing his name coming out of the Goblet…only a really powerful Confundous charm could have hoodwinked it. Who could have done it..?

"The headmaster of the Durmstrangs seems to be a sketchy fellow." I suggested, "I heard he used to be a deatheater."

Hermione stared at me for a moment and began to think. "Yes, he does seem a little off. Plus there's Moody. I don't trust him; especially since he taught us forbidden magic."

Moody was a scary one, I had to admit, but Dumbledore trusted him, so he couldn't have been the one who did it.

We exchanged a few more thoughts on who could have caused this, but we had to stop once one of the girls told us to be quiet. So we said goodnight to each other and decided to sleep on the subject.

I thought about Harry while I gazed out the window beside my bed. Who could have done this to him? Was there a greater power behind it?

I made a soft prayer to whatever gods there were that Harry would be safe.

_Goodnight Harry. Please be safe._ I thought, and drifted off to slumber once again.


	6. Chapter 6

_I can't tell you how amazing it is to see the views for this story go higher and higher. __ Thank you guys so much for tuning in! If you love this story, please spread the word to your fellow PotterHeads! It would help me tremendously! I love you all! Another thing, I apologize for the wait, I'm getting ready for school to start and have been busy busy busy, this is a long one, but thank you for your patience! Senior Year! WOO!_

_All the characters and places mentioned in this fanfiction belong to J.K. Rowling. They are not my own except for my character!_

_Sorry for any misspellings or grammatical errors. Reviews are welcome and appreciated. Enjoy Chapter 6!_

* * *

Chapter 6

The First Task

It was a cold morning in late November. The school had been gathered in the Great Hall to have lunch and then walk down together to an arena where the task would take place. Many students wondered what the contestants would be doing for the first task, a lot bet on an all-out duel. They were only partially correct. They would have to duel a dragon. For what? That we weren't sure of.

Harry couldn't sit with the rest of us. He had to sit at the champion's table a ways away from us. Ron didn't seem to want to talk much, he sat with us, but only just picked at his food, so Hermione and I talked with the Twins, Ginny , and Neville.

I glanced over at the champions table and watched Harry as he made small talk with Cedric. He smiled slightly at him, but I could tell he was nervous. Harry looked down at his food, took a bite, and then noticed me staring, and waved.

I waved back at him, trying to put on a brave face, but I knew it wouldn't help much. I was scared, even though Hermione and I have been pushing him for the past few weeks. Moody had taken Harry aside one afternoon and talked about Harry's strengths, and Harry was an amazing flier. From that day on our breaks, Hermione and I would take Harry out to practice summoning charms. We hoped that would be enough.

Soon Dumbledore announced that the first task has begun, and that he would meet us down at the arena to give us more information. We all got up and exited the castle, and walked down a dirt path that lead to a wooden arena, nestled among the trees on a cliff, and a long way away from Hogwarts.

Hermione, Ron, and I seated ourselves a few rows away from the champion's tent, which was on one side of the bowl-like structure. The adults and judges seated themselves under a few covered rows just opposite of the champion's tent. In the middle of all of us was a deep hole made of rock. It was a very jagged and bulky terrain, but it would definitely make things interesting.

"Bets! Bets taken here! Place your bets here! Step right up ladies and gentlemen, don't be shy!"

I turned to find Fred and George walking around behind us, shouting like circus barkers. "What in the world are you two doing?" I questioned.

"We are taking bets to see who will win the tournament. So far, Dumb Krum is in the lead, but Cedric is a close second." Fred grinned.

I huffed, "Let me guess, Harry is in the last because everyone thought he cheated to get in."

George frowned slightly, "Yeah, so far, not a whole lot a rooting for him."

Standing up, I took out a few galleons and placed it in the box he was carrying. "8 galleons says Harry wins the Triwizard Tournament."

Fred and George exchanged looks and gave me a smile. "You're on." They said in unison.

I grinned and took my seat, "Now to pray he doesn't hurt himself." I said to Hermione.

She nodded and stared at Ron beside her, who hadn't said a word all morning. He just stared into the distance like he was lost in thought. Poor bloke…

Soon enough, Dumbledore appeared in the middle of the arena and announced the rules of the first task to us. Each of the champions had to battle a female dragon, and collect the golden egg that the dragon was protecting. The egg itself sat in a circle of dragon eggs in the middle of the arena, resting in a small nest.

As Dumbledore began speaking to the judges, I told Hermione I would be right back and quickly made my way to the champion's tent. I had to see Harry. He must be scared to death of what was to come. He'd never battled a dragon; a giant snake, yes, but a DRAGON? Not a chance.

I walked up to the entrance of the tent and hesitated. _Maybe I'm not allowed in?_ I thought. So I went up to the closed flaps and whispered, "Harry?"

There was a pause and I saw a shadow on the other side of the cloth. "Harry is that you?" I asked softly.

"Yes, "came Harry's voice from the cloth, "What are you doing here?"

My heart pounded in my chest, he sounded unsure, almost apprehensive, and I was nervous as well, "I came…to…wish you luck."

I heard Harry sigh. I decided to coach him, "The key is to concentrate, after that you just have to…"

"Battle a dragon…" Harry finished, shakily.

I nodded as my heart pounded harder. I needed to see him, to tell him it was going to be okay. I knew he had to be just as scared as I was. He was going in head first. All he has is his skills as a seeker.

I couldn't take it, I threw open the curtain and hugged Harry as tight as I could. He was surprised, I could tell since he didn't wrap his arms around me at first, but then he hugged me back just as tight. I tried to put my emotions into that embrace. I wanted him to know how scared I was for him. I wanted him to know I cared for him….that I loved him…

There was a flash of bright light and a loud pop, and a smooth but excited voice broke through the moment, "Young love!"

Harry and I let go of each other and turned, in shock, to find Rita Skeeter, the journalist for the Daily Prophet. She was dressed in a bright green suit and black high heels, her curly blonde hair swept to the side and hung near her cheekbones, accentuating her horn-rimmed glasses. Next to her was her nameless photographer and her floating notepad and quick-quotes quill.

"Oh how….stirring." She smirked, "If anything doesn't go unfortunate today, you two might even make the front page!"

I glared at her, I hated her columns. They were nothing but lies and stories made to make her look good, and most of her interviewees look horrible; Harry included.

"You have no business here. This place is for champions and friends." Krum said, his bulky form towering over the blonde lady.

Rita adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat, obviously intimidated. "Well…no matter. We got what we wanted," She flipped her quill's feather under Krum's chin and exited the tent with a smirk playing on her lips.

I rolled my eyes as she left, "Horrible woman." I muttered.

Harry heard and nodded in agreement, then Dumbledore, Mr. Crouch, Igor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime entered the tent.

"Good day, champions! Gather 'round please. This is the moment. You've waited, and wondered, and at last the moment has arrived!" Dumbledore exclaimed as he beamed around at all of us. Then he spotted me beside Harry.

"What are you doing here Ms. Michaels?" He asked, obviously confused as to my reasons of standing in the champions tent. I should have been outside.

I flushed, embarrassed, "Oh! Umm.. sorry, I'll just..uh…go." I turned to take one last glance at Harry, and then left the tent.

When I got back to Hermione she had this worried look on her face, "It's going to start soon. Where have you been?"

I quickly explained what had happened, leaving out the embarrassing parts, and reassured her that Harry was fine. "He just needed some positive energy." I said, and jumped as I heard a cannon shoot off.

The first task had begun, and Cedric was up first.

Cedric's fans stood and roared once he entered the arena, chanting, "Diggory! Diggory!", but they soon quieted down when a low rumbling reverberated from the large cave opposite him.

The dragon's head slowly emerged from the dark cave, glaring at Cedric. A low growl escaped through its sharp teeth.

I gasped, "Hermione! That's a Swedish Short-snout!"

She nodded slowly, but she was focused on the blueish-silver dragon as it whipped its head back and roared. I covered my ears and shrunk back in fear and excitement. This was going to get ugly. The Swedish Short-snout was known for its incredible flying skill, but not as much as its flame, and this momma dragon looked prepared to use it.

Cedric dove behind a rock and the battle began. He ran from rock to rock, using a much cover as he could to get close to the egg.

The dragon watched his every move, releasing long tongues of blue fire at Cedric when he would dash to another rock cover.

"Come on, Cedric! Use your head!" I heard someone yell.

Cedric's head appeared behind a bulky bolder, he pointed his wand at a smaller rock, shouted a spell and ducked as the dragon loosed fire at him again.

The smaller rock turned into a brown dog and began barking at the dragon. He was using Transfiguration as a distraction. _Not bad, Ced._ I thought.

She turned and growled at the dog and began to chase it. It worked.

Cedric took his chance and ran for the egg, and got it. The crowd cheered as Cedric held up the egg in triumph, but the dragon reared her head and blasted fire at him. Cedric dodged, but we heard him cry out in pain and fall to the ground.

Hermione and I gasped, "Oh god…" Hermione whispered.

Dumbledore launched some spells at the dragon and she roared and disappeared back into the cave as the medics surrounded Cedric, who was writhing and clutching his face. They took him back to the tent and Dumbledore announced that Cedric is fine.

After that, Hermione and I anticipated the worst.

Fleur was next in line. She faced the Welsh Green dragon, and succeeded in capturing the golden egg by putting it so sleep, but she got her skirt singed in the process.

Krum didn't do too bad either, and he was against the Chinese Fireball, especially known for its fire breathing. He blinded his dragon to retrieve the egg, but we later heard he had points taken away since the dragon stumbled around and smashed half of the real eggs.

Finally, it was Harry's turn.

The crowd hushed as Harry stumbled onto the field. He looked around and immediately saw the egg in the center of the arena, and began to run toward it.

The dragon leaped out of the cave and roared, whipping its tail around and stabbing at where Harry stood. He dodged and ran as the dragon whipped its spiked head around and let loose a jet of fire after him. It was a Hungarian Horntail, and she was a deep brown and huge. There were large spikes protruding from all sides, except her belly. Her winged arms rose above her head as she growled, puffs of smoke rising from her nostrils.

Harry ran, trying to scrabble up the small rock hill toward the egg, but the Horntail was just as quick, rising above him in the air and smashing her tail down upon him, barely missing him by a hair's breadth.

My heart pounded in my chest as I watched Harry slide down the rock face, the Horntail's spiked tail whipping down on him again and again. Harry tried to run but the tail smashed into his back and sent him flying a few feet.

I stood up in my chair, fearing the worst. _Come on Harry, use your wand!_ I thought, angrily.

Harry stumbled and dove behind a rock, he peeked his head up from behind it to check for the dragon, but he ducked back down as the Horntail released another jet of fire.

"YOUR WAND, HARRY! YOUR WAND!" I shrieked, banging on the wooden bar in front of me.

Harry seemed to have heard me, he raised his wand and shouted something into the air, but it was drowned out by the noise the dragon was making.

I heard a whooshing sound over my head and I knew what it was: the Firebolt.

Harry jumped out from behind the rock and onto the Firebolt, the Horntail snapping at him, and missing only slightly.

Harry zoomed above our heads and the crowd burst into a loud cheer, urging Harry on. Hermione and I jumped up and down, yelling, "Go Harry!"

The dragon rose into the air as well, chasing Harry around the arena. Soon the chain that was holding her down toward the ground broke, and everyone ducked down behind whatever cover they could find.

I watched in amazement and fear as the man I loved zoomed up and over the heads of the administration, heading for the school.

"Harry! " I yelled, but he was too far away. I could see the Horntail just fine, but Harry was only a small speck in the distance. I took hold of Hermione's hand, and prayed.

We heard a roar from the dragon in the distance; someone said that it was on the east tower. Hermione glanced at Ron, his face was as white as a sheet, but he stared at the castle, inspecting it.

A few painful minutes later there was another roar, but a more painful one this time, and it seemed closer. We heard a crash and rumbling of something large collapsing….

Then it was silent. Dead silent.

It was unbearable, for every second felt like an eternity.

The cold still silence ate at my very heart. I couldn't take it. It was too much, it was too soon.

I began to tear up and I hugged Hermione close to me. _No…Not Harry… Not my Harry…he can't be dead…_

Suddenly I heard a whooshing sound, and at first, I couldn't believe it. I quickly let go of Hermione and stood on my toes to search for the sound. I stared at the sky, tears still fresh on my face, and my heart racing furiously. Could it be?

Then Harry appeared above the opposite side of the arena, and the crowd stood and went crazy.

The Firebolt wobbled in the air and spewed smoke from the back as Harry flew down and collected the egg. Harry was grinning from ear to ear. When he landed, he held up the egg and the crowd went wild again, cheering, "Harry! Harry! Harry!" Even Ron was cheering and smiling as he watched his friend go back into the cave leading to the champion's tent.

I left Hermione again and ran for the tent, beaming. Bursting into the room, I found Harry being congratulated by the other champions with pats on the back and, "Nice job, Potter!" They went quiet however when they saw me standing in the entryway, half crying and half giggling out of my happiness to see him alive.

Harry looked at me, his hair and glasses were askew, and his coat was burnt. "Bella." He said softly.

I sighed, "Harry James Potter, don't you ever scare me like that again."

Harry chuckled, "No promises, but I'll definitely try." He held out his arms as I ran to embrace him.

We didn't hear the small jeers and teases as we stood there, arms wrapped around one another in a tight embrace. I knew I didn't care. Harry was alive, and was only slightly injured. That was something I could live with, and I was by his side once more.

He held me for what seemed like an eternity, a perfectly warm eternity. The cold that was nipping at my hands and nose melted away into a fiery warmth that seeped up from my toes to my cheeks. His hands gently messaged my back as he rubbed up and down. His warm breath tickled at my ear, and even in his embrace, it made me shiver.

When he finally pulled away from me, I found myself staring at his face for a few moments before he cleared his throat, and I realized I still had my arms around him.

"Oh..heh..sorry." I stuttered, blushing.

Harry's face seemed a little pink as well. "Heh, don't worry about it Bella…" he cleared his throat again, "It was…nice…" he said quietly.

I chuckled nervously, "…Nice..?" I asked, biting my lip and looking up at him.

He smiled an awkward smile, only showing the left side of his teeth, "…Yeah." He managed to say, pulling at his collar.

Before we could exchange any more awkward phrases, Hermione and Ron entered the pavilion and congratulated Harry, although Ron stood back at the entrance and exchanged an awkward glance with Harry as Hermione rambled on about how worried she was, and how she wanted to research the Golden Egg.

We exited the arena later on, with the Gryffindors carrying Harry upon their shoulders, cheering and telling him how amazing he was.

I caught up to the group and yelled up at Harry, "Enjoying your fame, Chosen One?" I teased.

"Not one bit!" Harry shouted back, winking at me and beaming as we all headed up to Gryffindor Tower.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hello! It's that time again! School….BOOOO! So, yeah I started school about a while ago, so I wanted to let you all know that the chapters are going to be coming out at a slower pace than usual. I'm also part of a play, taking ballet, and voice lessons as well. YIKES. Don't worry though; I think of you all a lot, so I'm always scribbling a paragraph or two on my down time. Thanks for being patient!_

_All the characters and places mentioned in this fanfiction belong to J.K. Rowling. They are not my own except for my character!_

_Sorry for any misspellings or grammatical errors. Reviews are welcome and appreciated, but please be nice. Enjoy Chapter 7!_

* * *

Chapter 7

Wishful Thinking

Ron and Harry were talking again. What a relief.

As soon as we got back to the Common Room from the First Task, Ron finally got smart enough to realize this whole "Harry cheated" thing wasn't Harry's fault. Hermione and I had rolled our eyes, not fully understanding why Ron had doubted him in the first place.

"Boys." Hermione huffed as we strolled up the stairs to our dorm.

I chuckled and agreed with her, waving goodnight to Harry and Ron. "Yeah…Anyway, I wonder what this golden egg will reveal. Didn't Dumbledore say it contained a clue of some sort?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, I asked Harry about it after the thing screeched. I thought about going to the library tomorrow and see if there is anything about it. I'm confident there will be something in Triwizard History."

I opened the door for Hermione before I stepped inside, then shuffling over to my messy bed and flopping down onto it. "Man I'm beat." I sighed, reaching for my nightgown on the pillow.

"We'll today was a…exciting day. We should get some sleep while we can. Besides, we have an assembly tomorrow."

_An assembly? _I questioned myself, pulling my shirt and sweater over my head. I hadn't heard there was going to be one.

Hermione read the puzzled look on my face an explained, "McGonagall announced that there will be an assembly tomorrow afternoon. She wanted to discuss something important, something about a Yule Ball. It's a tournament tradition, apparently." She shrugged and removed her skirt, folded it, and placed it in her trunk.

"Yule Ball? You mean… like a dance?" I inquired, thoughts spinning through my mind. I felt a little dizzy…and excited.

Hermione grinned and nodded, "Isn't it wonderful? I wonder what the Professor will say. Well, anyhow, we won't know until we sleep and get tomorrow started. So let's crash."

We changed into our pajamas and nestled down under our red covers. The fire, in the small stove in the middle of the room, slowly died down to just glowing coals and small pops and crackles.

I heard a meow in the other corner of the room and watched as a flat-faced orange cat hopped up onto Hermione's bed, it was Crookshanks. He purred loudly as he flopped down onto Hermione's comforter. I grinned, watching his eyes slowly blink at me.

Soon all the lights were out and everyone drifted off into dreamland.

* * *

A small rumble of voices reverberated through the classroom as the boys and girls were separated opposite sides. Both excitement and exasperation were present in the students' faces, more excitement for the girls than the boys. The sun was streaming through the windows, giving the room a soft white and grey glow. In the front of the room was a large record player sitting on a mahogany round table, its funnel nearly ten times the size of the machine itself. Filch the caretaker stood beside it, messing with the needle and volume nobs, making an awful scratching sound mixed with cursing and the occasional meow of his cat Ms. Norris.

Professor McGonagall, standing in front of the table, garbed in her usual evergreen robes, cleared her throat and waited for the noise to die down.

Hermione and I finished our conversation with Ginny and turned our attention to the front of the room, excited to hear what she had to say.

McGonagall clasped her hands together and took a step forward. "The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwzard Tournament since its inception," she said, looking about the room, "On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of _well-mannered_ triviality." Her eyes glared at a few students, some of the boys giggled.

"As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this quite literally because…" McGonagall paused, "the Yule Ball is first and foremost…a dance."

The students erupted into sound. The boys groaned and rolled their eyes while us girls chirped enthusiastically.

"Quiet, now, everyone! Quiet!" McGonagall hollered, and the noise quickly died down. She recomposed herself and spoke again, "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizarding world for nearly ten centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!" She frowned and stared down at us all to make her point, and then she took a slow step forward, bringing her arms out in front of her in a graceful position.

"Now to dance is to make the body breathe," she instructed, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and turning toward us, "Inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst forth and take flight."

She spun around and brought her arms upward, one arm higher than the other, almost like Gryffindor's symbol, "Inside very boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance."

I glanced over at the boys section to find Ron whispering into Harry's ear. Whatever he had said, it made them both chuckle and this caught McGonagall's attention.

"Mr. Weasley!" she called, striding toward him, "Will you join me please?"

Ron's face went pink as he stood and led McGonagall to the middle of the floor, giggles and small jeers following him. He turned and threw a death glare at the guys as McGonagall adjusted his hands to the correct position for waltzing. She nodded at Mr. Filch and he started the music.

We watched as Ron and the Professor swayed and twirled around the dance floor, all the while counting to the beat of the music.

I glanced over at Hermione, who was staring at Ron, her eyes shifting from his feet to his face. She seemed to be observing him, watching his every move, but I could see the curiosity in her eyes. The Yule Ball excited her to no end. She couldn't hide that from me.

I turned my attention back to the swirling couple, and my mind's eye began to wander…

What would Harry and I look like..? Can Harry dance? Would he ask me to the ball?

McGonagall snapped me out of my dreamland when she announced that everyone get on their feet, pick a partner and practice.

All of the girls leapt up at once, smiling excitedly, but the boys shrunk back in their seats.

I stayed in my seat as I watched Hermione get to her feet and stride over to Ron. I saw they exchanged a few words, and then they both blushed, and took the first position. The music started up again and soon there were swirling and swaying couples everywhere.

I sat there shyly in my seat, watching the couples move around the dance floor. I didn't know what to do. Should I get up and find a partner? Or, the better question: should I get up and ask Harry to dance?

I sat there for a few minutes, arguing with myself, and I didn't notice when someone walked up to me. I heard a throat being cleared and saw a pair of black shoes and slacks standing in front of me.

It was Neville, with a shy grin on his face. He extended a hand toward me, "W-would you like to practice with me, Isabella?" he asked, stuttering slightly.

I smiled, he was a sweet boy. "Sure, Neville. Just…don't step on my foot." I joked.

He grinned as I took his hand and lead me to the dance floor. He placed his right hand on my back and led me with the other. We slowly began to waltz, and my heart thumped nervously. I tried counting in my head..1 2 3..1 2 3…

"Have you ever danced before, Bella?" Neville asked, breaking my concentration. I decided not to think too hard about the steps.

"No, not really. I mean, I've seen movies and danced around my room as a girl, but…" I chuckled slightly, "otherwise, I've never danced with another person."

Neville smiled, "Well, now you'll know how. You have a good sense of rhythm."

I chuckled, "Thanks. So do you."

We twirled around in silence for a few minutes. As we came around to the boy's side of the room, I glanced over to find Harry sitting beside Seamus Finnigan. He was slumped over in his chair, listening to Seamus tell him one of his family stories again.

I saw him glance up for a moment, and I watched him as he watch me dancing with Neville.

_Oh Harry…_I thought.

Neville noticed me staring and followed my eyes. I heard him chuckle.

"What?" I asked, solemnly.

Neville smiled, sympathetically, "Why don't you ask him?"

I blushed harshly, how did Neville know? I cleared my throat, "Uh-um. Ask who?"

Neville smirked, obviously seeing through my disguise, "Him. Harry. I've seen the way you look at him. We all have. Why, don't you as him to the ball?"

I looked up at Neville and stopped dancing, sighing, "I-…I just can't, Neville. I don't even know if he would want to go with me. Especially since…well…he likes Cho Chang..."

Neville put a hand on my shoulder, "Tell him how you feel then. I'm sure he feels the same. You're his closest friend. There has to be something there."

My heart was sinking. I had the lowest confidence in the world. I knew we shared a few moments together, but I still wasn't sure if he even knew how I felt. I dropped hints as much as I could, but Harry had the thickest head in the world.

I shook my head, "I'm not so sure…"

Neville frowned and placed his hands on his hips, "Bella, I think you've got friendship over Cho. Plus you've got a prettier face." He smiled again, "Buck up dream girl. Just ask him. Worst he can say is that he never wants to be your friend."

I blushed slightly and couldn't help but smile. Plant boy, was right. I had to at least ask Harry. Technically it is usually the boy who asks, but in this case…I needed to. I had to tell Harry how I felt before it was too late, and the Yule Ball was the perfect place to do it.

McGonagall soon raised her hands above her head to get our attention and dismissed us for the rest of our day classes. As the students filed out, I thanked Neville for his advice and quickly searched for my posy.

I spotted Harry's unruly hair from across the room and ran over to join him. Ron and Hermione soon caught up and we made our way to Potions.

I let the boys walk a little ahead as I pulled Hermione back a moment. I needed to tell her what went on in the assembly.

"You're serious?" Hermione gasped when I finished telling her.

"I am. I'm going to do it. I don't know when…or how. But I'm gonna try." I said sheepishly.

Hermione hugged me, "I want to help. Tell you what, if you can help me get Ron to ask me, I'll help you ask Harry. Deal?"

"What about Krum?" I asked, teasingly.

She blushed, I knew she liked him. "N-no. No Krum. Not at all."

"Uh-huh, suuure!" I chuckled.

She punched me in the arm and stormed off after the boys. I trotted behind her, laughing as she glared at me.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hi there! Long time, no chapter! Yeah, seriously, it's been too long and I've left you guys out here waiting for another chapter to roll in. I've been busy out the wazoo, but I'm trying to use some of my free time to write for you guys. You're welcome. ;P _

_Okay, now for a serious question. I've been thinking this over, but I want to know what you guys think. This is my first fanfiction story as you guys know, and sadly, this may come to a conclusion in the next couple chapters or so since my dream ended at the Yule Ball. I wanted to ask you guys, should I continue the story after the ball? (like the 2__nd__ and 3__rd__ tasks and whatnot) And should I do another series for this couple, like The Order of the Phoenix or a prequel? I'm open for suggestions. Just leave a review for me about your opinion of if I should continue or leave the story as is. THANK YOU GUYS!_

_All the characters and places mentioned in this fanfiction belong to J.K. Rowling. They are not my own except for my character!_

_Sorry for any misspellings or grammatical errors. Reviews are welcome and appreciated, but please be nice. Enjoy Chapter 8!_

* * *

Chapter 8

Questions

_I don't know if I can do this_.

My heart was pounding loudly in my ears as I walked up the hill with Hermione. It was snowing and the wind was blowing an icy breeze as we trudged toward the owl tower.

She and I had been planning this for a few weeks and the opportunity came to us out of luck. Harry had wanted to meet me at the owlery tower, Sirius had sent him another letter, and he knew how much I loved seeing the owls.

Hermione had been giving me pep talks since that morning, but I was still completely nervous.

I stopped toward the top of the hill, "Maybe I should wait..."

Hermione turned and placed her hands on her hips. "And miss this perfect opportunity? No, Bella you can do this. Besides, you may never have another chance with Ron around asking about Quidditch."

I sighed; she was right, as always. But I felt too shaken,unconfident, and the cold wasn't helping. "But what if - "

"But nothing!" Hermione interrupted, "You are going up there. C'mon. You love Harry don't you?"

The question burned inside my head. I did love Harry. More than he realized. I loved him ever since he rescued me from The Chamber of Secrets….Hell..butterflies up welled in my stomach when he looked at me…but there was still that uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach…

My heart began to sink again. I was being such a bloody idiot. I needed to be brave, to march up those steps with confidence and not take no for an answer.

_Yeah right..._I thought to myself.

"Well?" Hermione pushed, tapping her foot on one of the stone steps, "Come one, Bella…you can do this. You've been through worse y'know."

Her voice had taken a much softer tone; she was teasing me. I looked up at Hermione and chuckled. Again, she was correct. I'd done more dangerous tasks…like facing Professor Lupin when we found out he was a werewolf.

I sighed and clenched my fists, "Yeah…I've done worse."

Taking a deep breath, I marched up toward the steps. Hermione followed closely behind me, muttering,"Have confidence."

Once we reached the last set of stairs, Hermione sat at the bottom step where she would wait for me like we planned. I looked back at her and she gave me a small smile, gesturing me to go on.

I took a deep breath and watched as the air from my lungs made a misty cloud in front of my nose. _You can do this_, I thought…

Step by step, I slowly made my way toward the entrance, my heart pounding loudly in my ears again, but before I got to the top step, I heard a voice amongst the owl's shrieking…

"-ing ifmaybeyou'dliketogototheballwithme?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

That was a female voice…I shuddered, my heart jumping into my throat. _It can't be…_

I shuffled over to the entryway and slowly peeked into the room.

Harry was standing with his back to the entrance, his hair a jumbled mess, and he was wearing a long black coat with black slacks. Standing opposite him, looking beautiful in her long black robes and blue and silver scarf was…

Cho Chang.

Harry took a deep breath, saying the words more slowly, "I..was wondering…if maybe you'd like to go… to the ball with me?"

My eyes widened as I gasped and turned away. I should have known it would only have been a matter of time, but that didn't stop the tears from boiling up in my eyes. I was too late…

I ran down the stairs, my vision blurring, and the image of them still in my mind. I felt sick, nauseated. Questions began to burn in my mind. Why did I even try? Why didn't I see this coming? Why didn't he notice my advances?

Someone called out my name, but I didn't care. I didn't want to have to explain myself. I just wanted to be left alone…

* * *

For the rest of the afternoon I ended up staying in the girl's dorm of Gryffindor Tower, calling in sick. I knew I wouldn't be able to face anyone right now. I needed to get over the shock…maybe to try and forget about what happened…

I couldn't.

I ran scenarios through my head over and over again…one where I didn't run away but I stood there in shock, one where I got there before Cho and asked him…and he said yes…

I rolled over in my bed…what was I thinking, I should be happy for Harry, not sad. I felt a pang of pain in my chest. _But you love him_, a voice said in my head.

But he wants Cho, I argued, my throat swelling up. The tears began to flow again…

The memories spun around in my head... The moments where I thought Harry was catching on…

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

"Isabella?" a soft voice asked.

I sighed, "Not now…" I mumbled. The knocking continued, so I slowly got up and trudged toward the door. "What?" I asked.

"I…I just wanted to check on you. Are you okay? You haven't been to classes…everyone's worried." It was Hermione.

I sighed again and leaned against the door. "Yeah…I'm fine." I lied, hoping my tone of voice wouldn't give me away.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

I wanted to scream at her. Tell her to go away and say that I wasn't sure. I was never going to be sure. I wanted to tell her my heart was broken to smithereens….but all I could say was: "Yeah."

I heard a long pause before she consented and walked away. I listened to the sound of her footsteps echo down the stairs before I turned back toward my bed. Walking slowly, I happened to catch myself in the floor length mirror the girls bought me for Christmas the year before.

I examined my features, mulling over my long curly brown hair, which was now a complete mess from being in bed all day. I stared at my sunken face. My evergreen eyes were slightly red and puffy from crying, and my nose was pink. I sighed again and rubbed my cheeks, wiping away the residue of salt and water. I needed to clear my head, maybe put on my plastic smile like I always had done when I was upset. It was the only thing I could do besides lay there and mope.

I walked over to my trunk and decided to walk the grounds for a while. Maybe the fresh air would clear my head, but as I was putting on my cloak, I heard another knock on my door.

Rolling my eyes I huffed, "Go away Hermione. I want to be alone." Couldn't anyone understand that?

Instead of a response, I heard the door open.

I whirled around, my anger rising and preparing to tell her to go away again, but I stopped in my tracks. The figure standing in the doorway wasn't Hermione. It was Harry.

I felt my cheeks burn as Harry looked me over. "Bella? Are you okay?" he asked softly.

I tried to recover from the initial shock and anger, but it was no use. He had me reeling again, and my throat was beginning to tighten. "Uhm…yeah, I'm fine." I managed to say. _God please don't notice..._I thought.

Harry frowned slightly, staring at me intently. I could see in his eyes that he knew I was lying, but I wasn't going to give in.

"Have you been here all day? Hermione told me you felt sick, but…" His voice trailed off.

I tried to act natural, "Yeah, I just have a bit of a fever is all." I tried to smile, "No biggie."

"Well you should have sent me a message. I was waiting for you at the tower for a while, and…I got worried when you didn't come." Harry said, walking towards me. There was something strange about him…he seemed...nervous.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think of it." I answered, playing cool.

Harry eyed me, his green-blue eyes peering over his round glasses. I could tell he knew something was up, then he came to the point, "Bella have you been crying?"

My heart sank. He knew, but I tried anyway, "No." I said softly.

Harry shook his head and came closer to me, "Yes you have, and I know why you didn't come. Hermione told me something happened, but you wouldn't tell her. What's going on? It isn't like you."

I could feel the tears coming again. Should I tell him the truth? I wasn't sure if I should. He might think I was pathetic for crying over such a silly thing about asking him to the ball...but…

Harry sighed, "I can tell you don't want to talk about it…but, I bet you're wondering why I'm here."

Harry shuffled his feet and seemed to look at me expectantly. He was right, I was curious as to why he was here. I sniffed and wiped my eyes with my sleeve and nodded, "Yeah, I am curious. What do you want?"

For a moment, Harry was silent. He took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes, "Well, you didn't come…so, I thought I'd come to you." He cleared his throat and his face turned a slight pink.

My head was buzzing with questions. What could this crazy boy possibly want? "What..is it, Harry?" I asked, curiously.

"Well," Harry said sheepishly, "I was wondering…If maybe you would like to go to the ball with me?"

My jaw dropped. I was dumbfounded, and confused, and excited, and overly happy. "What?!" I chuckled, "Wait wait wait wait. You want to go to the ball with ME? What about Cho?"

Harry shook his head in confusion, "Huh? Who the bloody hell said anything about Cho?"

"But I thought-" I cut myself off.

Harry's eyes widened slightly, and then he began to laugh, doubling over his abdomen.

I crossed my arms angrily. Why was he laughing at me? "What now?" I asked, annoyed.

He slowly eased into a chuckle before he answered my question, "So that's why you ran out on me. Hermione said you were running away crying from the tower."

My face burned and I punched his arm. "So what? What the hell are you getting at?!"

Harry flinched and grabbed my hands, holding them tightly in his. I could feel my heart racing as he looked me in the eyes, not out of anger, but of soft sympathy.

"Bella, Cho was helping me practice…to ask you to the ball. I asked her to do me a favor. She was exiting the tower anyway, and when I explained that I wanted to ask you…" He cleared his throat again, turning pink, "she agreed to help me."

I stared at Harry. His jostled hair, his crooked smile, and last of all, his beautiful eyes. The whole time… This was all just a misunderstanding? Could I truly believe this? Am I dreaming? Harry Potter wants to go to the ball…with me?

"I…I don't know what to say…"I managed to stutter, feeling light headed.

Harry smiled and wrapped his hands over mine, "You…could say yes?" He teased.

I couldn't breathe, but I could feel a smile creep onto my lips.

"Yes. Yes, Harry." I gasped.


End file.
